Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
113
US scientists calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all the world's presents on Christmas Eve, travelling at 650 miles a second.
415
Black Friday in the UK is the Friday before Christmas. Instead of shopping, many people get very drunk!
10
Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895.
62
In the Ukraine, if you find a spider web in the house on Christmas morning, it is believed to be a harbinger of good luck! There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Ch
26
The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
273
Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
196
At Christmas, it is traditional to exchange kisses beneath the mistletoe tree. In ancient Scandinavia, mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship. That may account for the custom of "kissing beneath the mistletoe".
27